Snubber



July 1, 1952 A. LEHRMAN SNUBBER Original Filed Nov. 5, 1344 Patented July 1, 1952 SNUBBER Leo A. Lehrman, Chicago, 111;, assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Continuation of application Serial No. 561,765,

filed November 3, 1944. This 19, 1951, Serial No. 235,235

23 Claims. (Cl. 267-'9) My invention relates to friction devices and more particularly to a device commonly known as a snubber and utilized in a bolster-supporting spring group for a railway car truck for the purpose of preventing harmonious oscillation of the springs.

The present application is a continuation of application Serial No. 561,765, filed November 3, 1944, and now abandoned.

My novel snubber is so designed that it may be conveniently substituted for one of the springs of the group. However, it will be understood that the snubber may be utilized in any arrangement to which it may be adapted.

The general object of my invention is to design a relatively compact snubber having a minimum number of parts and capable of long life in service.

A specific object of my invention is to arrange the parts so that friction shoes utilized confine a block of resilient material therebetween in such manner that the material is subjected to compressive forces acting on the sides as well as the top and bottom thereof.

A difierent object of my invention is toprovide an arrangement in which spaced friction followers are formed with reversely arranged friction stems, each of which is relieved or offset at one side thereof to afford clearance from the other stem as the device is compressed. A pair of spaced friction shoes are provided, each having a web or leg bearing against one of the followers and an angularly related web or leg frictionally engaging an interior surface of the opposed friction stem, and a block of resilient material is disposed under compression between the shoes, said material being so arranged as to bear against allof said webs.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a snubber embodying my invention taken-in a vertical plane substantially bisecting the device through its vertical axis, andFigure 2 is a sectional view taken in the horizontal plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the coiledcompression spring being eliminated in Figure 2.

Describing my invention in detail, my novel snubber comprises spaced top and bottom annular followers generally designated 2 and 4 and adapted to seat, respectively, against supported and supporting members, such as the bolster and side frame of a railway car truck. Each of the followers has a central opening 6 adapted for the reception of positioning means on the associated supported or supporting member, and on the inner face of each follower is formed a friction application June stem or post 8 connected-to a flange ID on the inner face of the related follower whereby each flange l0 affords clearance from the post 8 of the opposed follower to accommodate compression and release of the device bymovement of said followers toward and away from each other. "It may be noted that each post 8 and the flange l0 connected thereto define a hollow barrel receiving one end of a resilient spreading block 22, as hereinafter described.

In the device as illustrated, a pair of friction shoes [2, I 2 are utilized, although it will be understood that, if desired, the shoes might be split vertically to aiford two or more pairs of shoes. Each shoe [2 is received within the stem 8 of one of the followers in abutment therewith as at M, the shoe comprising a horizontal web or leg [5 in abutment as at IS with said follower, and a vertical Web or leg l8 having a V-shaped face in frictional engagement as at 20 with the friction stem of the other follower.

As will be seen in Figure 2, the shoes I2, l2 are V-shaped inhorizontal cross-section to accommodate the reception therebetween of a resilient unit in the form of a block 22 of resilient material, such as rubber. The block 22, as may be clearly seen in'Figure 1, bears at its upper and lower extremities against the respective webs l5, I5 and said block bears at opposite sides thereof against the respective webs l8, l8, thereby affording a direct force path between eachwebof one shoe and both webs of the other shoe.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, a coil spring 24 is sleeved over the stems 8, 8 and is seated at opposite ends thereof against the respective followers 2 and 4, thereby affording additional capacity for the device; however, it will be clearlycunderstood by those skilled in the art that, if desired, the spring 24 and the portions of the followers against which it abuts maybe eliminated, in which case the resilient block 22 would constitute the sole means for resisting the compression stroke of the snubber.

I Itwill also be understood that While the resilient unit 22 is here shown as a solid block of resilient material, if desired, a composite element might be substituted consisting of rigid and resilient elements utilized in any suitable combination.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a friction device, top and bottom followers, each comprising a hollow friction stem with an internal friction surface, friction shoes, each of said friction shoes being engaged with one of said followers and having a substantially vertical web frictionally engaging the surface of the stem associated with the other follower, and a resilient unit under compression between said shoes, said unit bearing at the top and one side thereof against one of said shoes and said unit' bearing at the bottom and opposite side thereof against the other of said shoes.

2. In a friction device, top and bottom followmember and movable thereagainst during compression of the device axially thereof, and a resilient mass bearing at opposite ends and opposite sid'es thereofagainst portions of said eleers comprising hollow friction stems on their inner sides, each of said stems being relieved at one side of its longitudinal center line, said stems being reversely arranged so that the relieved portions thereof afford clearance from each other as the device is compressed, friction shoes each having an element engaging one follower and the relieved portion of its stem and also having an element frictionally engaging the stem of'the other follower, and a resilient unit compressed by and between all of said elements of said shoes.

3. In a friction device, top and bottom'followers comprising hollow friction stems on their inner faces, each of said stems being relieved" at one side of its longitudinal center line, said stems being reversely arranged so that the relieved portions thereof afford clearance from each other as the device is compressed, friction shoes each having a web engaging one follower along substantially horizontal surfaces and also having a web frictionally engaging the stem of the other follower, and resilient actuating means under compression between said shoes.

4. In a friction device, spaced friction members adapted for movement toward each other during compression of the device axially thereof, friction shoes partially housed within said members, and a resilient unit spaced from said memr bers, said unit being compressed at opposite ends and opposite sides thereof between portions of said shoes, each of said shoes being engaged with one of said members in such manner as to prevent relative axial movement therebetween andbeing 'frictionally engaged with the other memher for movement therealong as the device is compressed.

5. In a friction device, top and bottom followers, each comprising a hollow friction stem with an internal V-shaped friction surface, friction shoes each comprising a substantially horizontal web bearing against one of said followers and a substantially vertical V-section web frictionally engaging the complementary friction surface of the stem associated with the other follower, a resilient unit compressed by and between all of said webs, and resilient means sleeved over said stems in abutment with respective followers 6. In a friction device, top and bottom followers, each comprising a substantially vertical friction surface, friction shoes each being in abutment with one of said followers and being in frictional engagement with the surface of the other follower, and a resilient unit under compression between said shoes, said unit bearing at the top and one side thereof against angularly related webs of one shoe and said unit hearing at the bottom and the opposite side thereof against angularly related webs of the other shoe.

ments, said mass being entirely spaced at all times from said members.

8; In a'friction device, top and bottom friction members having spaced hollow portions, a pair of friction shoes received within said portions,

one of said shoes bearing at the top thereof against one member and being frictionally engaged with the other member within the hollow portion thereof, and the other of said shoes bearing at the bottom thereof against said other member and being frictionally engaged with said one member within the hollow portion thereof, and a resilient unit compressed at the top and bottom and at opposite sides thereof against the respective shoes.

9. In a friction device, top and bottom followers, each comprising a friction stem with an internal friction surface, friction shoes each comprising a substantially horizontal web engaging one of said followers and a substantially vertical web frictionally engaging the friction surface of the other follower, and a resilient unit compressed by and between all of said Webs.

10. In a fraction device, a coil spring, spaced followers seated against opposite ends thereof and presenting hollow friction stems projecting into said spring, friction shoes each having abutment with respective followers along surfaces approximately perpendicular to each other, and a resilient unit spaced from said followers and compressed between said'shoes, said unit bearing against each shoe along spaced approximately perpendicular abutment surfaces. i

11. A friction device comprising spaced followers, spaced shoes one having a leg bearing against and movable as a unit with one follower and an angularly related leg frictionally engaging the other follower, the other shoe having a leg bearing against and movable asa unit with said other follower. and an angularly related leg frictionally engaged with said one follower, and a block of resilient material compressed at opposite ends and opposite sides thereof between said shoes and aifording a direct force path between each leg of one shoe and both legs of Ithe other shoe.

12. In a friction device, spaced followers having friction stems on their inner faces, friction shoes carried by and interlocked with respective followers, each shoe being frictionally engaged with the stem of the follower which carries the other shoe, and a resilient unit under compression and bearing at the top and bottom thereof and at opposite sides thereof against abutment means on said shoes.

13. In a friction device, two pairs of frictionally engaged members-one pair of said members being housed within the other pair thereof, and a resilient unit compressed at opposite ends and opposite sides thereof against the members of said one pair, one of the inner members being carried by and movable as a unit with one of the 14. In a friction device, spaced units movable toward and away from each other, each of said units comprising a stem and a leg spaced from each other and projecting toward the other unit, each leg of one unit being frictionally engaged with the radially inner surface of thestem of the other unit, and a mass of resilient material compressible between axially spaced abutment surfaces of respective units and between the radially inner surfaces of said legs.

15. In a friction device, spaced units movable axially of the device toward and away from each other, each of said units comprising a follower and spaced friction members projecting therefrom, one of the friction members of each unit comprising a Spring seat and a friction face on the radially inner and outer surfaces thereof respectively, said face being frictionally engaged with a complementary face on the inner surface of the opposed member of the other unit, and a resilient mass engageable with and compressible between said seats and abutment means movable with said followers.

16. In a, friction device, a block of resilient material, and a pair of friction units associated therewith, each of said units comprising an in ternal friction surface at one side of the axis of said device engaging an external surface of the other unit, and an external surface at the opposite side of said axis movable axially of the device with said internal surface and engaging an internal surface of said other unit, and a pair of angularly related relatively fixed internal abutment surf-aces on each unit bearing respectively against a side and an end of said block.

17. A friction device comprising axially spaced followers movable toward and away from each other axially of the device and'each having a stem at one side of the device projecting toward the other follower and carrying a shoe at the other side of the device engaging an inner surface of the stem of the other follower, and a mass of resilient material compressed between surfaces of respective shoes movable toward and away from each other axially of the device as the latter is compressed and released, said resilient material also being compressed between and reacting against said shoes along a force path intersecting said inner surface of each stem.

18. A friction device comprising a pair of friction units movable toward and away from each other along an axis of the device as the latter is compressed and released respectively, each of said units including a pair of friction members projecting toward the other unit, one member of each unit being frictionally engaged with an inner friction surface of the corresponding member of the other unit and the other member of each unit being frictionally engaged with an outer friction surface of the corresponding member of the other unit, a mass of fiowable and resilient material compressible by and between surfaces of respective units intersected by said axis, said material also being compressible between the inner members of respective units along surfaces of said inner members approximately parallel to said friction surfaces.

19. A friction device comprising a pair of friction units movable toward and away from each other along an axis of the device during compression and release thereof respectively, each of said units including a spring seat and 6. a pair of inner and outer friction members projecting therefrom and movable therewith, the innermember of each unit being engaged with the outer member of the other unit, and a mass of flowa'ble resilient material disposed between the inner member of respective units, SaidT- silient material being compressible at'spaced areas thereof between respective seats on said axis, and said resilient means being compressible along other spaced areas thereof between the inner members of respective units for resisting movement of said units toward each other and for urging the inner members of respective units against the outer members of respective units.

20. A friction device comprising a pair of friction units movable toward and away from each other along an axis of the device, and each having a member with an external friction surface at one side of said axis engaging an internal surface of the other unit and having an internal surface at the other side of said axis engaging an external surface of a member of the other unit, and a mass of flowable resilient material compressed against one of the members at one side of said axis and compressed against the other member at the other side of said axis for urging said members apart, thereby urging their external surfaces against the related internal surfaces, said mass also being compressed on said axis between mutually facing surfaces of respective units.

21. In a friction device, spaced units movable axially of the device toward and away from each other, each of said units comprising a stem and a leg spaced from each other, movable in unison and projecting toward the other unit, each leg of one unit being frictionally engaged with a radially inner surface of the stem of the other unit, and a mass of flowable resilient material compressed between the radially inner surfaces of said legs for urging said legs apart and into frictional engagement with the radially inner surfaces of the respective stems, said units having bearing surfaces, respectively, facing each other and engaging said mass, said bearing surfaces being movable axially of the device toward and away from each other with theirarespective units.

22. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a pair of followers movable toward and away from each other; of a lengthwise extending friction post rigid with each follower, said post having a lengthwise friction surface on the inner side thereof; a lengthwise extending friction member projecting from each follower, said member of each follower being spaced laterally from the post of said follower, each of said members having .lengthwise extending surfaces on the inner and outer sides thereof, said friction member of each follower having the surface on the outer side thereof in sliding engagement with the friction surface of the post of the other follower; a resilient spreading member interposed between the friction members of said followers and having sliding engagement with the surfaces on the inner sides of said members; and spring means bearing at opposite ends on said followers to yieldingly oppose movement of said followers toward each other.

- 23. In a friction shock absorber, the combination with a pair of followers movable toward and away from each other; of a pair of laterally spaced, longitudinally extending, inner and outer friction members movable with each follower, the inner member of each pair having sliding engagement with the outer member of the other pair; a mass of resilient flowable material compressed between the inner members of said pairs, said material having engagement with and being under compression by said inner members of said pairs; and spring means interposed between said followers and yieldingly opposing relative approach of the same.

LEO A. LEHRMAN.

REFERENCES CIT ED file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Name Date Barrows Oct. 25, 1932 Lamont June 18, 1940 Tucker Nov. 25, 1941 Dath Feb. 19, 1946 Haseltine Mar. 4, 1947 

